Rob Helmke is the Marketing Director for Plastic Ingenuity, Inc., located in Cross Plains, Wisconsin. Plastic Ingenuity is a custom thermoforming manufacturer that has built its reputation in the industry by providing innovative packaging solutions, being customer focused and flexible. Rob is responsible for all facets of Plastic Ingenuity's marketing program including overall strategic direction, Internet and public relations, brand management and business development. Rob has 16 years of packaging industry experience with Plastic Ingenuity, a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, has served on the Madison Area Technical College marketing advisory board, and has presented at Marketing Profs B2B conferences.

With Pack Expo Las Vegas 2013 right around the corner, you can expect to hear plenty about packaging companies trying to create disruptive innovations. These are the game-changing packaging solutions that do more than look good on a shelf—they allow the entire industry to evolve. What does it mean for plastic packaging in general, though, and how much should we push for extreme innovation in our field? Our Changing Industry When you work in the industry as long as we have at PI, it can be easy to forget that while plastic packaging is highly advanced, it’s still a relatively young field—and we’re pioneering innovations all the time. Just look at how much the industry has reduced waste over the last decade, or how our continued focus on increasingly sustainable packaging solutions has improved other industries, like food and beverage. Innovation doesn’t always happen in the form of major, disruptive turning points, but that doesn’t make it any less beneficial. The Benefit of Thinking Disruptively This is why it’s so important for packaging companies like us to push ourselves for...

Pack Expo Las Vegas 2013 is coming up, and it’s going to be a big one. The expo is going to be bigger and better-attended than ever—and PI will be there, of course, showing off some of our latest packaging solutions. But what else can you expect from this year’s expo? Plastic Food Packaging Innovations Plastic food packaging has been a hot topic in the industry lately, and with good reason—issues of sustainability, durability, product protection and more have never been bigger. That’s why this year’s expo will include a series of presentations on food and beverage safety and manufacturing, including participation by the Food Safety Summit Resource Center (FSSRC). This focus on plastic food packaging improvements is a positive step for both the expo and the industry—from stock packaging to custom designs, we at PI know the major benefits of designing and creating advanced food packaging solutions. A renewed focus on creating better plastic food packaging can lead to more efficient and sustainable solutions, and Pack Expo Las Vegas is the perfect opportunity to spread that message. Why Now?...

We’re always looking out for ways to improve not just our own packaging solutions, but the way that the plastics industry at large functions. You know that at PI, we always keep an eye out for illuminating new data, and a recent study out of Australia caught our attention.[1] This study explores food waste throughout the supply chain, and how plastic food packaging can reduce it—and here at PI, we have a few ideas of our own. Supply Chain Food Waste When it comes to food waste, households are the reigning champions, sending more than 2.5 million tons to the landfill every year. Households aren’t the only major contributors, though. This new study shows that combined, the various stops in the supply chain—like food manufacturing, wholesale distribution and retail—add up to nearly 50 percent as much food waste each year. So what does this mean for the plastic food packaging companies? Better Packaging Solutions, Less Waste As the study notes, food waste in the supply chain is unavoidable to a certain extent, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be reduced....

Here at PI, our plastic packaging design team faces unique challenges all the time. As consumer trends and priorities change with the times, packaging companies like us need to adapt and stay versatile. That’s why this month, we’re focusing on some of the biggest and most recent challenges faced by today’s packaging design industry. We’ll be looking at what consumers like, what they need and what a packaging company has to do to keep up. Our first entry is focusing on a consumer trend that’s reshaping plastic packaging—literally. What are Transumers? It isn’t a name you’re likely to find in the dictionary, but it’s one making a big impact in the packaging design industry: The “transumer.” Transumers are consumers on the go—people in a hurry, traveling, commuting, and doing traditionally-stationary activities like eating while they’re on the run. They prize convenience, particularly when it comes to pre-portioned and highly portable food packaging and snacks. So what does it mean for a plastic packaging company like PI? Thinking small and getting creative. While size has always been a critical consideration for...